IOC responds to controversy over boxer with ‘male chromosome’ competing in women’s games: “Gender is determined by passport”

2024-08-03 15:11:19

“Everyone has the right to enjoy sports without discrimination.”
“IOC saddened by the abuse suffered by both athletes”

ⓒNewsis

Amid controversy over the gender identity of two female boxers with ‘XY chromosomes’ competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken the position that gender should be determined by the passport rather than chromosomes.

The IOC released an official statement on the 2nd (Korean time), saying, “Everyone has the right to enjoy sport without discrimination,” and “All athletes participating in the Paris Olympic boxing tournament will comply with the competition’s qualification and participation regulations and all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Union (PBU).”

The IOC then said, “As in previous Olympic boxing competitions, the athlete’s gender will be determined by their passport,” and “This boxing rule is intended to minimize the impact on athletes’ preparations and ensure consistency between Olympic events.”

In particular, the IOC said that these boxing rules were applied to boxing competitions around the world, including the European Games, Asian Games, and Pan American Games last year, as well as Olympic qualifying competitions. It also said that through this, 1,471 people, including 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Refugee Boxing Team, and Individual Independent Players (AIN), played more than 2,000 matches.

This statement from the IOC was made in response to criticism of Imane Khelif (26, Algeria) and Lin Yu-ting (28, Taiwan), who are embroiled in gender controversies at this Olympics.

Earlier, Kelly was disqualified from the World Championships in New Delhi, India, last year, just hours before the finals, after her testosterone levels exceeded the legal limit. Lin Yuting also failed a test at the same competition and was stripped of her bronze medal.

At the time, Umar Klemlev, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), explained, “They were excluded from the competition because the DNA test results showed that they have XY chromosomes.”

However, the controversy grew when the IOC announced on the 29th of last month that “the two individuals complied with all IOC regulations” and “will compete in the Paris Olympics as scheduled.”

In particular, the controversy grew even bigger when Kelly won by forfeit against Italy’s Angela Carini (26) in the round of 16 of the women’s 66 kg boxing event held at the North Paris Arena in Paris, France the previous day.

At the time, Carini was knocked out 46 seconds into the first round after being hit twice by Kellyf. After the fight, Carini said, “I have never felt a punch like this before.”

In response, the political circles of his native Italy criticized the IOC for allowing Kelip to compete, saying, “This game was not a competition held on equal terms.” In particular, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni raised his voice, saying, “I believe that athletes with male genetic characteristics should not be able to compete in women’s games.”
However, despite such criticism, the IOC maintains its position that the controversy over the two athletes’ eligibility is not based on scientific evidence.

In a statement on that day, the IOC said, “We have come across potentially misleading information in the report about two female boxers competing in the Olympic Games,” adding, “These two boxers have participated in international boxing competitions in the women’s category for many years, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.”

Finally, “These two athletes were victims of the IBA’s sudden and arbitrary decision. Any rule change must be based on scientific evidence,” he said. “The IOC is saddened by the abuse the two athletes are currently receiving.”

Meanwhile, Lin Yuting has won two titles, including a gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, and Kellyf has also won a silver medal at the same competition. Notably, they also qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

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2024-08-03 15:11:19